The staggering figures surrounding the sensation which is Avatar , the latest James Cameron movie, ought to be well known to all of us as of today.  The motion picture began breaking records almost from the first day of release, with $27 million taken on its starting day and $77 by the conclusion of its opening weekend at the box office in the usa.   The statistics were also rather extraordinary around the rest of the planet with over $20 million taken in the starting weekends in both Russia and France and over $10 million in the likes of the UK, Germany plus a handful of others.

Following on from the opening weekends the film just continued growing, amassing unbelievable box office statistics around the world.  Therefore, for those who haven’t experienced the motion picture with the blue guys in it yet you are seemingly in the minority!

Avatar also did pretty very well when it comes to critical acclaim and award nominations.  The film finished up getting 3 Academy Awards from the possible 9 it was nominated for – an impressive haul – so it was not only the general population that valued the motion picture, but in addition the industry itself.

Soon to follow something that acquires this degree of public attention is naturally large amounts of branded items, and Avatar was no exception.  Matel, the toy leaders, were quick to unveil a variety of Avatar based Action Figures which were introduced in December 2009.  These action figures each include a distinctive weapon or accessory and a character unique i-Tag that you can scan with a webcam and then do stuff on the internet.  McDonald’s also released a range of action figures in their Happy Meals.

With Avatar becoming history, what’s next?  As it happens, James Cameron never saw Avatar as a one off, so there is talk of at least two sequels.

Both producer Jon Landau and James Cameron himself are currently pretty busy supporting the freight train that the Avatar franchise is becoming.  There is much work being carried out to aid the numerous special editions of the movie that are yet to be released on Blue-Ray etc.  As a result, it could be a while before even the initial sequel hits the movies – that hasn’t however stopped the media beginning to ramp up already on precisely what the new movie will include.  If you still haven’t had your fill of the first Avatar it’s recent release on Blu-Ray will allow you to watch again and again prior to more details of the sequels leak out.

Both Cameron and Landau admit it shouldn’t be as difficult to create a further Avatar, though Landau is cited as saying ‘… we know that whatever movie he Cameron does is not going to be done in six months’ so I guess we’d better not get our hopes up too soon.  On a better note, there is no doubt the initial film left plenty of scope for a thrilling follow-up.  So with any luck the wait will be worthwhile.

By Clarke Baldwin

Firstly, it’s good to recognize that there would be no Star Wars without Lucas. That said, the idea that Lucas birthed has taken a life of it’s own, branching off franchises worth billions of dollars in gaming, memorabilia, TV shows, and many other areas of life. From Star Wars bedding to Star Wars t-shirts, the influence of the artwork that his mind created has inspired a generation.

Some may argue, to such a point that it is the generation who have now taken possession of the true idea of what is “Star Wars”. When Lucas decided to start directing the prequels, many fans rejoiced, only to later flee in horror at what was to take place.

First, it is worth nothing that Lucas did not direct much of the original Star Wars series. One might dare say he was relegated to the role of a screenplay writer with little much else. The producers had the ultimate say, and had definitely helped to take Star Wars in a much different direction than what Lucas had intended.

Not so, the second time around, and perhaps with devastating results. Star Wars had become Lucas’ playground for his imagination and whatever desires he wanted. His little daughter liked boy band N’sync, so Lucas thought he had the right to allow N’sync members to become Jedi in the film. Despite the often bad image given to executive producers as being “corporate fat cats”, had producers been still in charge of the Star Wars series’ direction, this type of insanity would have never come to pass.

So outraged were the fans that tens of thousands signed petitions to stop him. They succeeded in preventing what they viewed as an assault on the series by the creator himself. At the very least Justin Timberlake was not seen waving light sabers. But fans were in for a surprise of a different sort.

Whatever anyone may think of Jar Jar, even George Lucas himself conceded the massive damage done to the series by the two eyed and perhaps even mentally ill creature, by removing him from the next parts of the series after protests against his inclusion had swelled in size. A cut of the film without Jar Jar has been released by fans, and it seems notably improved from the original cut. The decision by Lucas may have had more to do with his family and his own desires than anything else. The presence of Jar Jar was severely reduced, to some fans relief, but for many the series had died the moment Jar Jar set foot on the screen.

Perhaps George Lucas has lost all touch with the fan base. George once said at a luncheon that the Empire Strikes Back was the worst Star Wars, despite the fact that many if not most Star Wars fans consider it to be the greatest.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Quick Flash News and this story at How George Lucas Killed Star Wars in Movies

By Clarke Baldwin

It seems like all we see in the movie industry is sequels and remakes. If that is not the case then it was a book or comic strip. Are there no original ideas left in this world? Saw 5, High School Musical 3? Rocky Balboa (6th one in the series). When do you draw the line or cut em off? It seems as long as the sequels keep making money, the producers will keep at it. I know it’s no big news that movies are all about money in Hollywood. But we as movie goers need to stop supporting this drivel.

Look at Japan, they have original concepts and amazing imaginations. They think outside the box and actually use their brains. They still care about cinema as an art form. Sure there are some exploitative animes and B films, but they don’t have as many as America does. "The Ring" came from Japan, and was a refreshing revamp to the horror saga. Their horror films get inside your head, and you think about them long after you leave the theater. Whereas American films you forget about the second you walk into the parking lot.

I just wonder how much repetitions Americans can possibly take? Rambo 15? Saw 20? Scarily enough, these seem like real possibilities. You could eventually see those movie posters and not be dreaming. They saw that "Watchmen" won’t have a sequel. Ahh, but they never said it wouldn’t have a prequel, gotcha! They could do a story about the original watchmen. The producers and marketers never quit thinking how they can milk a movie concept for all it’s worth. Why did they need to remake "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" the original can not be outdone.

I recently gained another perspective when I went into a book store. Yes, books, they’re those things with paper pages that you look at. First off, I noticed tons of these best sellers had been made into movies or were about to. Secondly, I noticed when I left the store someone said I don’t really read books anymore that pretty much sums up American culture. Nobody reads anymore. Movies are never as good as the books. We can never fully match the amount of imagination in our minds using a movie to portray it. I love movies myself, but I realize how much our culture has shifted away from books and the imagination. Losing creativity and imagination is never good for a society that wants to progress.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Quick Flash News and this story at Sick of Sequels and Remakes in Movies